Stress presents itself in many ways. It may show up as headaches, pressure between the shoulder blades, fatigue, insomnia, or irritability. Stress is the body’s reaction to a situation; because stress responses are unique to individuals, stress management must also be personalized. In 2024, 53% of adults reported stress as being a significant factor affecting mental health.
Four types of stress are present throughout a person’s lifespan.
Eustress is a positive type of stress that typically leads to enhanced performance. Situations that lead to eustress include getting married, having a baby, getting promoted, getting a job interview, or graduating. Distress leads to negative reactions and includes situations such as a divorce, punishment, injury, financial problems, or work difficulties. Acute stress leads to a fight, flight, or freeze response. After these situations, your body takes about ninety minutes to return to its pre-stress state. The final type of stress is chronic stress. This stress is caused by daily living and can include bills, kids, or a job. People tend to ignore chronic stress, which can lead to declining physical and mental health.
How can you recognize when you are stressed?
The first step is to track your stress patterns. Use a notebook or note app to track stress-related signals, such as sleep patterns, mood changes, physical symptoms. Note how your body feels when surrounded by specific people and in specific environments. This will help you identify how your body responds to certain situations.
Once you have tracked your stress responses, look for patterns in your data.
Do certain feelings or reactions happen around the same time each day? When a specific person or group of people are around? When specific topics come up?
Talk to others around you to see if they notice changes in your behavior to help you discover situations that trigger your stress.